FREDERICKSBURG, Va., Feb. 17, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Radiologic Associates of Fredericksburg (RAF) has partnered with the Image Gently Campaign to increase awareness of opportunities to lower radiation dose when imaging children. Image Gently is an initiative of the Alliance for Radiation Safety in Pediatric Imaging.

“RAF radiologists and technologists have undergone additional training in ways to reduce radiation exposure, especially with CT scanning. We now have age and weight based CT protocols. This helps proportion the radiation dose when imaging children,” said Dr. Christopher M. Meyer, a radiologist partner of RAF who serves as medical director of radiology at Mary Washington Hospital and physician coordinator of the Image Gently Campaign. “These protocols are similar to those used at the Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., and other leading children’s hospitals.”

Prior to the weight based protocols, RAF implemented several programs aimed at decreasing radiation dose. Before this campaign, the radiologic technologists would manually decrease the dose based on less precise methods that are still followed by most imaging facilities today. RAF’s process is now a structured and automated formula.

All four outpatient imaging centers of Medical Imaging of Fredericksburg, as well as imaging facilities at Mary Washington Hospital and Stafford Hospital, are participating in the Image Gently Campaign. Whenever a child enters any of these facilities, there is a coordinated effort by staff to image the child in the safest way possible while still providing the highest quality diagnostic studies. “This commitment to radiation safety goes beyond CT and crosses all modalities, including Xray and fluoroscopy,” Meyer added.

“We want to assure the community that when they choose facilities served by RAF, they will be imaged in the safest way possible. We will continue to incorporate new technologies and practices as they arise, so we can provide the highest quality and safest imaging possible,” Meyer said.